The Courage to Defy – Jean Philippe 1943

Yad Vashem

“I believe that we have no right to deport our fellow citizens and that any Frenchman who becomes an accomplice to this infamy is a traitor”Jean Philippe, French Police Inspector in Toulouse

The deportations of the Jews were a major undertaking. Jews were arrested in their homes, taken to assembly points and detention centers, and from there were put on deportation trains. This required the extensive participation of local police forces. Most policemen followed orders, some warned the Jews and enabled them to escape, but only very few refused to obey the orders.

Jean Philippe was appointed chief of police in the 7th arrondissement of Toulouse in late 1942. He used his position to help Jews and resistance fighters. But when in January 1943 he was ordered to submit a list of all Jews in his precinct to the Germans, he felt that he could no longer serve in the police force and tendered a letter of resignation in which he vehemently denounced the Vichy government’s collaborationist policies.

Phillipe went underground and continued his resistance activity. An imprudent move on the part of his colleagues led to his arrest on January 28, 1943. He was interrogated, tortured, imprisoned in Karlsruhe in Germany, and executed on March 1, 1944.

Jean Philippe’s letter of resignation:

Toulouse, 15 January 1943

To the General Commissioner,
I regret to inform you that in view of our government’s present policy not conforming to my ideals, I am unable to serve it with loyalty. I refuse to persecute the Jews who, according to my opinion, have the same right for happiness and life as Mr. Laval [Prime Minister of the collaborationist Vichy France] himself. I refuse to forcibly uproot French workers from their families: I believe that we have no right to deport our fellow citizens and that any Frenchman who becomes an accomplice to this infamy is a traitor, even if he is called Philippe Petain [the Head of State of collaborationist Vichy France]

I am aware of the exact significance of my words.

Consequently, I have the honor to inform you that with the same mail, my resignation is being submitted to the Regional chief of Police.

Permit me to convey my gratitude for the extreme kindness that you have always demonstrated to me and please accept the expression of my respectful devotion.

Jean Philippe